Communicable Diseases

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

INTRODUCTION

Which affects the structure or functions of human being with specific symptom is called disease or disorder.

Communicable Diseases

A communicable disease is an illness that is transmitted from a person , animal , or inanimate source of another person either directly , with the assistance of an intermediate host or by a vector. communicable disease present in an epidemic, endemic and pandemic .

Terminologies

1. Incubation period

The time taken to show the first clinical symptoms to appear after infection.

2. Vector

Any living carrier that carries and transfers an infectious agent into another living organism is known as vector. E.g: Flies, Mosquito.

3. Isolation

Separation of an infected organism, after the development of infection, From other organism, For a period of communicability.

4. Host

A person or an animal harbours the infectious agent.

5. Infectious

A communicable disease which is caused by an Infection.

6. Infection

Is the invasion and multiplication of disease-causing agents, which leads the tissue damage.

7. Infectious agent

All infection causing agents are known as infectious agents. E.g : Virus, Bacteria, Nematodes, Arthropods etc.

8. Transmission

Is the process of spreading the infection from one medium to another medium. E.g: Touch, inhalation, sexual contact, infected discharges.

9. Contagious disease

It means capable of being transmitted from one human to another human via direct or indirect contact. E.g : Measles

10. Epidemiology

Is the study of distribution and determinates of disease conditions among the populations.

Communicable disease is classified based on the agents

·            Water borne diseases

·            Air borne diseases

·            Disease Transmitted through Parasites

·            Disease Transmitted through Arthopods

·            Disease Transmitted through Animals

·            Disease Transmitted through Contact.